


You're Not Alone

by Jellybean96



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, High School, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-06-09 12:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6907840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellybean96/pseuds/Jellybean96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cause you're not alone, girl <br/>Look over your shoulder <br/>You don't have to wonder <br/>Cause you know, you know, you know <br/>That you're not alone, girl <br/>I'll be there to hold you <br/>I'll stay till it's over <br/>And you know, you know, you know <br/>That you're not alone</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey babes! This is a new little number I've been working on the last few days. I originally wrote the first part of this first chapter for a different fandom a couple years ago, intending to actually make it into a multi-chapter story. But I lost my inspiration for it. So I took it down and rewrote it for Skyeward, complete with inspiration for multiple chapters. :)  
> It's only going to be about 3 or 4 chapters, depending on how long the last one decides to be.  
> Title comes from the Big Time Rush song, "You're Not Alone" which was the inspiration behind this story.
> 
> Enjoy!

Grant lets out a groan of frustration as he sits at the desk in his bedroom, staring down at his math textbook and notes trying his hardest to focus long enough so he can study.

Hearing his cell phone go off next to him, he glances at the caller id to see who's calling him. _Skye._ He leans back in his chair and reaches over to pick up his phone. As soon as it's next to his ear, he hears faint crying noises coming from the other end.

"Skye?" he asks.

 _"Hey Grant,"_ she manages to get out, _"you're my friend, right? You'd never hurt me?"_

"Of course I wouldn't, Skye," he says, every part of him instantly filling with shock and concern.

 _"Good,"_ she replies. Then there's silence, neither teen knowing what exactly to say at the moment.

Grant finally breaks the silence with a question, "How come you're calling?"

He hears her swallow thickly. _"I wanted to talk to you."_

"About what?" he asks. "Is there something wrong? Because even though we've lived on the same street since we were kids, you've never really just called me up out of the blue for anything, especially in the last couple years. Or did you just call me so you could get out of doing something at home?" he smiles.

 _"Miles cheated on me!"_ she shouts into the phone as she lets out a loud sob. _"With some random blonde bimbo!"_

"What?!" Grant shouts, jumping up from his chair rather loudly, and then quickly calming himself down. He walks over to his bed and sits on it quietly, hoping that his grandmother won't come in to check on him. "He cheated on you?"

 _"Yeah,"_ Skye says through her crying. _"I saw him with her up in the new weight room at school. I was going up to surprise him before he went to practice and I saw them together. She had her slutty hands all over him, and he didn't do anything to stop her! And then she kissed him! And he just kissed her back!"_

"Wow. I am so sorry Skye. I know you really liked him."

 _"Well, things change,"_ Skye says, her crying slowing down, " _I thought that he and I had something. I thought that I could trust him."_

"Sometimes people aren't really who they seem to be," Grant tells her. "Sometimes they are completely different and they can turn out to be a total jerk."

" _Well I'm glad you're not like that, Grant. You'd never do something like that to me, right?"_

Grant smiles slightly into the phone, "Skye, I would never, in my entire life, dream of hurting you the way that jerk did. You deserve someone who will care for you every minute of every day, and someone who would never do anything to hurt you. You're way too special to be treated like you're anything less than."

 _"You really think so?"_ Skye asks through her sniffling.

"I know so," he says to her in a soft voice with a small nod of his head.

_"Thanks, Grant. You really are a great friend; even though we don't hang out that much anymore. I feel pretty bad about that, actually."_

"It's no problem, Skye," Grant tells her. "And don't feel bad, life happened and we just kind of grew apart a little."

 _"Yeah, you're right."_ Skye takes a deep breath, _"So, what were you doing before I called you?"_

Grant lies back on his bed, bending one arm up under his head, "Oh, you know, just playing some guitar."

" _Finally finish a song after all these years?"_

Grant sighs, "No, unfortunately not. Nothing seems right."

" _Well I'm sure you'll come up with something eventually. You just have to find the right inspiration."_

Grant smiles, "Yeah, I guess I do."

" _So is that all you were doing? Just playing guitar? Because if I know Gramsy, then I know you couldn't have been playing guitar the entire time since school got out."_

Grant chuckles, "No, you're right. I was actually studying when you called me. More specifically, studying math. Even more specifically, studying geometry. But it's pretty hard to wrap my head around."

 _"Well I'm sure you'll be able to understand it eventually,"_ she tells him. _"I have complete faith in you."_

"Thanks, Skye."

_"Anytime."_

_..._

Glancing over at the clock on his nightstand, Grant sighs when he sees the time. "Skye," he interrupts her while she's in the middle of telling him something. "Skye!"

_"What?"_

"Stop talking for a minute," Grant laughs quietly.

_"Sorry. What's up?"_

"Have you checked the time?"

_"Um, no. Not yet. Why?"_

"Because I just did, and it's five in the morning. We've been on the phone all night."

 _"Wow,"_ Skye breathes out, _"I don't think I've ever been on the phone with someone for this long."_

"Neither have I. But I do know that there's no one else I'd rather be on the phone all night with."

_"Thanks, Grant. But we should probably get off of the phone now because we're going to have to wake up soon and go to school."_

Grant laughs, "Yeah. We'll get like what, two hours of sleep?"

Skye laughs too, _"Yep. Well I'm gonna go know. See you at school, Grant."_

"Yeah, see you later, Skye. Bye."

_"Bye."_

Grant sighs as he pulls his phone down from his ear and then looks over at his clock.

Letting out a sigh, he stands up from his bed, placing his phone on his nightstand, and walks back over to his previous spot at his desk and sits down. He leans forward in his chair, pulls his textbook and notes back in front of him, and continues to study.

...

Walking into the school building, Grant lets out a large yawn. He sleepily walks towards his locker and unlocks it, not really sure why he's opening it. He doesn't need to.

Closing his locker with a sigh, Grant turns and makes his way down the hallway towards the cafeteria to meet his friends.

Once he reaches the cafeteria, he moves over to the table in the far corner, immediately sitting down and dropping his bag onto the top of the table. He rests his chin in his hands and lets his eyes slowly droop closed.

"What's up with you, mate?"

"Hmm?" he replies, turning his head in the direction of the voice but not opening his eyes.

"I asked what's up with you."

He opens his eyes to see his friend Kebo sitting next to him, his brows furrowed together.

"I'm fine," Grant tells him.

"Well you definitely don't look fine," his other friend, Kara, speaks up from Kebo's other side. "Did you even sleep at all last night?"

Grant shrugs, "So what if I didn't?"

"If you didn't sleep does that mean you were up all night studying for the test today in math? Because that's the only excuse I'll actually accept."

"I mean, it started out as studying."

Kara sighs, "What happened?"

"Skye called me."

Kebo lets out a laugh, "Oh we shoulda known it was her, Kara."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grant asks.

"Oh nothing. Just that every time she calls you or texts you or says hi to you in the hallway you completely lose yourself. You're so in love with her."

Grant rolls his eyes, "I am not in love with her, Kebo. She's just a friend."

"Right," Kebo nods. "A friend that you're madly in love with."

"You know what, I'm not doing this with you this morning. I'll be in the library during first period studying for the math test." He stands from the table and swings his backpack up onto his shoulder. "I'll see you guys later." He turns around and makes his way out of the room towards the stairs.

* * *

Driving his truck down the gravel road, Grant softly hums a melody to himself, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, his eyes flitting back and forth across the road.

Pulling up to an intersection, he stops briefly to check the way is clear before pushing on the gas to make a left turn and continue driving down the road.

His brows furrow together when he sees a figure standing along on the side of the road a few feet ahead of him.

Slowing down, he peers out the passenger window and his eyes go wide when he sees who it is.

He quickly rolls the window down and leans forward, "Skye!" The figure looks up at him and he pulls his car over to the side next to her.

She furrows her brows at him, "Grant?"

"Hey," he says, "what are you doing way out here?"

"I was on a walk," she shrugs.

He raises an eyebrow, "A walk? Out in this part of town?"

"Okay, so maybe I got a little lost while I was walking and thinking," she admits.

He chuckles, "I figured as much. Climb on in; I'll give you a ride home."

"I appreciate that, Grant, but I'm actually waiting for Lincoln. I called him and he said he'd come by and pick me up."

"How long ago did you call him?" he asks her.

Skye glances down at her phone and then back up at Grant, "Two and a half hours ago."

Grant sighs, "Get in."

Skye lets out a breath and then steps forward, pulling open the car door and climbing up inside the cab.

She shuts the door and looks over at Grant, "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiles at her. "Now buckle up."

"Yes sir," she gives him a mock salute and then pulls the seat belt over her body, clicking it into place.

Grant chuckles lightly and then pulls away from the side of the road, heading back down the street.

"So," Skye speaks up, "you know why I was out here. Now I want to know why were you out in this part of town."

"I was running some errands for Gramsy," he tells her. "She needed me to drop off some things to a friend of hers who lives out here. I was supposed to be home a couple of hours ago but I saw some people who needed help with something and I figured I didn't have to be home right away so I stopped to help them."

"Ah," Skye nods her head. "Good Samaritan Grant strikes again."

He glances over at her with furrowed brows, "What?"

"Good Samaritan Grant," she repeats. "Ever since we were kids you've always gone out of your way to help people. People close to you, random people you meet, people you barely know. You always help people; it's like second nature to you."

"You can blame Gramsy for that," he tells her. "If I see somebody that needs help I have to at least offer my help."

"And this world definitely needs more people like that," she smiles.

"I'm nothing special," he says.

"You may not think so, but I'm sure all the people you've helped would beg to differ."

"I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

"Yes you will," she nods. "Now, how long until we get back to our part of town? I'm starving; I haven't eaten in a few hours."

"Check the glove box," he tells her.

Skye furrows her brows and leans forward, opening up the compartment in front of her. She gasps and looks over at Grant, "Reese's Pieces? These are my favorite."

"Really? I had no idea," he fights against the smile that wants to escape. "I accidentally grabbed those when I meant to grab something else. But I didn't realize until I had already paid for them and was on my way home."

"You are such a lifesaver, Grant Ward," she leans back in her seat and tears open the candy wrapper, popping a few pieces into her mouth. "How much longer until we get back?" she asks him around a mouthful of candy.

"I don't know for sure," he says. "But it shouldn't be too much longer. You weren't that far away. If you kept walking I'm sure you would have made it back."

"Well then thank goodness you came driving by," she says.

He looks at her, "I just said if you kept walking you would have gotten home."

She shrugs, "I know. But I'm not really one for exercise."

He chuckles, "Yeah, I know."

"Why is there no music playing?" she asks him after a minute. "Car rides are so boring without music."

Grant shrugs, "I like the quiet; sometimes I come up with new melodies when I'm just driving by myself without music on. And if someone else is in the car then I usually like to talk."

"That's so lame," Skye leans forward and flips on the radio, immediately finding her favorite station. "Ooh, I love this song," she smiles, leaning back in her seat and singing along to the song as she continues to eat the candy.

Grant keeps his eyes on the road, a small smile gracing his lips as he goes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya. Thanks for all the love on the first chapter. Turns out this story is gonna be five chapters, I think. Cause I got inspired. :)
> 
> So, without further ado, enjoy!

Making his way down one of the hallways of the high school, Grant stops when he sees Skye sitting on the floor with her back against one the wall. Her kneels are pulled up and her head is resting on them, her backpack sitting on the ground next to her.

"Skye?" he speaks up, stepping over to her.

Skye lifts her head up and gives Grant a half smile when she sees him standing in front of her, "Hey."

"Hey," he says back. "What are you still doing here? School got out a while ago, shouldn't you be at home?"

"Shouldn't you?" she raises an eyebrow.

"Mr. Jamison asked me to help him with a few things," he explains. "Now it's your turn."

She sighs, "Home is the last place I want to be right now."

"Why's that?" he asks, sitting down next to her and pulling his knees up, resting his arms on them. "Is it something with your parents? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," she assures him. "It's just a really stressful situation for me right now at home."

"Stressful how, exactly?"

"Mom and dad keep getting on my case about picking where I want to go to college after graduation," she explains. "I told them that I'm still deciding because there are just so many different options out there but it's like they won't even listen to me. It's just easier sometimes to not go home for a while once school gets out. But of course once I _do_ get home they're still nagging me about college and what exactly my plans for the future are. I just really wish they'd lay off me for a little while and give some space to breath while I decide. It's not like it's an easy decision to make."

He shakes his head, "It really isn't. I'm still trying to decide where I want to go, too, and what exactly I want to do with the rest of my life. Have you at least narrowed it down some?"

She takes a deep breath, "Honestly? I don't even know if I want to go to college anymore. There's just so much pressure on picking a career that you want to do for the rest of your life and finding the right school that allows you to learn everything you need to know for that specific career. My parents pretty much raised me to want to go to college, but I don't know if I want to do that anymore."

"Then what would you do if you don't go to college?" he asks her.

"I think I want to travel," she tells him after a moment. "Explore the world and see new things. I've got a bunch of money saved already from odd jobs I've done, mostly babysitting, and I can use that to kick start my adventure. Then I can probably do some small part time jobs while I'm traveling, so I hopefully don't run out of money for food and stuff like that."

"That sounds like a great plan," he smiles.

"You really think so?" she asks him.

He nods his head, "Absolutely."

"Well I'm glad you think so. Mom and dad probably won't go for it, but it's my life, right? I can do what I want. And I really want to travel, but getting an education is really important to my parents." She throws her hands into the air, "Gah! This whole thing is just way too stressful." She looks over at Grant, "What do you think I should do?"

He takes a deep breath, "I think...that you should listen to what your heart is telling you to do. Figure out what it is that you want to do more than anything. And then do that thing. Don't let anything or anyone hold you back from doing what you want."

"You're right," she nods. "I have to listen to what my heart is telling me."

He nods, "Yep. That's the only way you'll be able to really be happy with your life and not so stressed out about everything."

She smiles at him, "You're just all full of advice, aren't you?"

He shrugs, "Just helping out a friend."

"Well I appreciate it very much. Thank you."

He gives her a small smile, "No problem. Speaking of friends, where are all of yours and why aren't you talking to them about this? Not that I'm not happy to have you confide in me, I'm just curious."

"They're all busy," she says with a small shrug, looking down. "As soon as school got out they all had to go and do their own things. Besides, none of them probably would have cared about my problem. I mean, I'm sure they would have cared a little bit, but they all have their own problems too, I'm sure. They probably wouldn't have paid much attention to mine."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that," he says.

She shakes her head, "It's fine, really." She takes a deep breath, "Well, I think I've kept you away from your errands long enough now. You should probably get back to whatever it is you were doing for Mr. Jamison."

"You sure you'll be fine if I leave?" he asks.

She nods her head, "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll probably still have some stress because I have to figure out exactly how to tell my parents I don't want to go to college, but I'm not as stressed as I was before. So thank you."

"Glad I could help," he smiles. He stands up from the floor, "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," she nods. "See ya."

He gives her another small smile before making his way down the hallway back towards Mr. Jamison's classroom.

* * *

"Man, this completely sucks," Skye complains as she makes her way to her locker, looking down at the paper in her hands. "I think my parents might _actually_ ground me because of this."

"What's the matter?" her friend Jemma asks her.

Skye sighs and shows the paper to her friend, "I got a stupid C- on my test and Mr. Hart won't let me retake it."

"Well why not?"

"Because I've already retaken it twice," Skye mumbles, shoving the paper into her bag.

"Well that's just outrageous," Jemma says.

"That's high school," Skye says back, stopping in front of her locker. She lifts a hand to the lock and quickly puts in her combination. She pulls it off of the locker and then pulls open the door, a small, folded up piece of paper falling out and fluttering to the ground.

Skye bends down to pick up the paper and then stands back up, unfolding the paper to read what's on the inside.

_Overheard you talking to Mr. Hart about your test. That really sucks, Skye, I'm sorry. I'd draw you a picture to cheer you up but we both know that my drawing skills are on the very low end of the talent spectrum. So instead, meet me at my locker after school, I have something for you._

– _Grant_

"What's that?" Jemma asks her.

"It's a note from Grant," Skye smiles, still looking down at the note.

"Who's Grant?" Jemma asks with furrowed brows.

Skye looks up at her, "You know who Grant is."

Jemma shakes her head, "No, I don't think that I do."

"Huh. I could have sworn that you did. You really don't know him?" she asks.

Jemma shakes her head again, "No."

"Oh, well. He overheard me talking to Hart about my test and he left me this note in my locker. Apparently he has something for me to cheer me up."

Jemma raises an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yeah. And it better be something good, too. Not like this one time when we were kids and he told me that he had a present for me when really he just wanted to..." she trails off when she sees the look Jemma is giving her. "What?"

"Nothing," Jemma says. "I'm just trying to put my finger on who this guy is."

"He's my friend," Skye tells her. "We live on the same street and have known each other since we were pretty much babies but we kind of grew apart as we got older. We're still really good friends, though. We just don't hang out as much as we used to."

Jemma nods, "Right, and how is Lincoln going to feel when he finds out about your _good friend_ giving you a gift?"

Skye rolls her eyes, "I don't care. Grant is just a friend. If Lincoln ends up having some kind of problem with that, it's not my issue."

Jemma nods her head again, "Alright, well, we should probably get to our next class before the bell rings and we're marked late."

"Yes, of course." She closes her locker door. "Let's go." The two friends link arms and make their way down the hallway towards their next class.

...

Clutching her cell phone in her hand, Skye cranes her head over the sea of students in the hallway leaving for the day to try and find Grant. When she doesn't see him in the crowd she looks down at her phone, unlocking it and opening up a new text message _I'm at your locker. Where the hell are you?_

A few seconds later she gets a new message **24-31-5.**

Furrowing her brows in confusion for a moment, she then realizes that it's his locker combination. She turns towards his locker and quickly inputs the combination, removing the lock and opening the door.

Once the door is open, she sees a small box sitting in the center of his locker, a folded note propped up in front of it with her name scrawled across it. She reaches inside and grabs the note, unfolding it to read the inside.

_Sorry I'm not able to meet up with you to give you your surprise. I forgot that I had some things to do for Gramsy right after school. Like I said in the last note I left you, I'm really sorry about your grade on Hart's test. That's pretty rough. But I hope this present cheers you up some; I found it a while ago when I was going through some of my old things and I was trying to think of the best time to give it to you. I guess now is the perfect time. I improved it a little, so I hope you like it._

– _Grant_

Smiling to herself, Skye folds the note back up and slides it into her back pocket before reaching back into the locker for the box. Pulling it out, she closes the door and replaces the lock before turning around and leaning back against the wall of lockers. She unties the small bow on top of the box and then pulls the lid off, tucking it underneath of the box. Removing the tissue paper off of the top, she lets out a quick laugh when she sees what's lying at the bottom.

"Oh Grant," she whispers with a shake of her head. "You are such a nostalgic dork."

Reaching into the box, she pulls out a handmade pendant strung on a thin rope. It's a pendant made out of light purple clay, with two small smiling faces on it; one face is blue and the other is pink. She flips it over to read the sloppy Sharpie ink on it _G & S. Best Friends Forever._

Smiling to herself, she slips the rope on over her head and lets the rock rest right below her collarbone. She shoves the small box down into her backpack and then pushes off of the wall, making her way down the hallway and out towards the front of the school to the parking lot to head home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back here again with a new chapter for ya. I figured, I updated my other two stories today, so I might as well update this one too. :)
> 
> So here you go. Enjoy!

"Oh this beach day was such a good idea," Bobbi comments from her place lounging back on a towel on the sand, sunglasses resting on her eyes.

"Yes it definitely was," Lance replies under his breath, not taking his eyes off of her body.

Bobbi rolls her eyes at her boyfriend, "You are so predictable."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asks in an offended tone of voice.

"Stop," Skye speaks up from her low to the ground lounge chair. "Please do not have a lovers' quarrel right now when we're all trying to relax and have a good time at the beach. This is supposed to be a way for us all to spend some time away from the stress that is our upcoming high school graduation and everything that comes after it."

"Like college," Lincoln supplies. "Honestly, I'm kind of terrified to stay in the dorms next year. I've heard some stories."

"Well Skye doesn't have to worry about that," Jemma speaks up.

"What's Jemma talking about?" Lincoln asks his girlfriend. "You aren't staying in the dorms next year?"

Skye shakes her head, "No, I'm not."

"Then where are you staying?" He furrows his brows, "Actually, where are you even going to college? I don't think you've told me."

"I'm uh…I'm not going to college," she tells him.

His eyes go wide, "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm not going to college."

"Wait, seriously? Why aren't you going to college?"

"I'm going to travel for a while. It's something I've always wanted to do for as long as I can. An old friend convinced me last year to follow my heart when I was trying to decide on a college. And my heart wants to travel the world," she gives him a small smile.

"Does your friend have some kind of issue?" Lincoln asks.

Skye frowns, "What?"

"He basically told you not to further your education, Skye. Don't you know how important it is to go to college and get a degree?"

"And my dreams aren't important?" she questions.

"That's not what I meant, Skye."

"Well it sure as hell sounded like it." She stands up from her beach chair, grabbing her phone, and stalks up the beach.

Looking down at her cell phone, Skye unlocks it and goes into her contacts to find Grant's number. She hits the call button and holds it up to her ear, waiting impatiently for it to ring.

 _"Hi, you've reached Grant Ward."_ Skye groans. _"Sorry I missed your call. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

"Grant," she says when the beep sounds. "It's Skye. Where are you? I invited you to the beach with everyone because I wanted to hang out with you and for everyone to get to know you a little before we graduate and go our separate ways, so you better not be bailing on me right now. Also I really need to talk to you. Call me when you get this. Or just text me and let me know you're coming. Okay, bye." She pulls her phone down from her ear and ends the call.

"Skye."

Turning her head, she sees Lincoln approaching her. "What?"

Lincoln sighs, "Look, I'm sorry about what happened down there. I didn't mean for you to think that I don't care about what you want or that your dreams aren't important. But so is getting an education."

"I can get an education while I'm traveling," she tells him. "Some things are learned better when out in the world, immersing yourself in it instead of burying your nose in a book about it."

"Fine, fine, I get it. I'm sorry." He pauses. "So, who was on the phone? Or did you just bring it up here to play some Candy Crush?"

"I hate Candy Crush," she tells him with a blank face. "I can't get past that one damn level."

Lincoln chuckles, "I'm sure you will at some point. But seriously, were you on the phone? Did I interrupt a call?"

She shakes her head, "No, you didn't. He didn't pick up."

Lincoln raises a brow, "He?"

Skye rolls her eyes, "Don't act jealous, it's not a good look on you. I was calling Grant to find out where he is because I invited him to the beach with us and he's not here."

"You really invited that kid?" Lincoln asks.

"Yeah, I did," Skye nods. "He's my friend."

Lincoln scrunches up his face, "He's kind of odd."

Skye takes a small step back, "You don't even know him, Lincoln."

Lincoln shrugs, "I don't need to know him. High school's pretty much over, I'll probably never see him again."

"Whatever. I'm going to call him again, see if he picks up this time." She looks down at her phone.

"Maybe he didn't pick up because he's busy."

"Grant always picks up whenever I call him," she holds the phone up to her ear. "Even though I don't call him a whole lot, he still always manages to pick up. And if he doesn't pick up, he usually calls me right back or sends a text. Neither of which has happened yet." She pulls the phone down, "Damn it, voice mail again."

"See, he's probably busy. Now come on, let's get back to the party," he grabs Skye's arm and tries to pull her back down the beach.

She pulls out of his grasp, "You go ahead. I'm going to call Gramsy and see if she knows anything. Something feels off."

"What feels off is that you're more worried about some random guy than you are about your boyfriend. That's not right, Skye."

She looks up at him, "Are you seriously going to act like this? Because if you are then there's really no point in us dating anymore. Grant's a friend."

"Whatever," Lincoln scoffs, turning around and walking back down the beach to rejoin the others.

Turning her attention back to her phone, Skye finds Marianne's number and holds the phone up to her ear.

_"Hello?"_

"Gramsy," Skye breathes out, "thank goodness you picked up."

_"Skye? Is that you?"_

"Yeah, it's me. Do you know where Grant is? I've tried calling him twice but he hasn't picked up. I invited him to this beach party with me and my friends and he promised me he'd try and make it but he's not here and he hasn't even texted me telling me he can't make it so do you know where he is?"

There's a beat of silence. _"Well, that was certainly a mouthful, wasn't it?"_

"Yeah, sorry. It happens."

_"I know, dear. It's fine. And yes, I do know where Grant is."_

"Great, where is he?"

_"Right here."_

"Could you put him on?"

_"I'm afraid I can't."_

"What? Why the hell not?"

_"Watch your tongue, young lady."_

Skye sighs, "Sorry, Gramsy. But why can't I talk to him?"

She hears Gramsy take a deep breath. _"He's in the hospital."_

Skye feels as if she just got the wind knocked out of her at the revelation. Her throat has suddenly gone dry and it's hard to swallow. "What?" she whispers. "What do you mean he's in the hospital?"

_"He was driving and got hit by another car that ran a red light. He was hit on the driver's side."_

Skye gasps quietly, feeling the tears building in her eyes. "How long ago did this happen?"

_"Sometime yesterday morning, I believe."_

"Yesterday?! What the—I'm coming. I'm coming to the hospital to see him. I'll be there as soon as I can." She doesn't give Marianne a chance to answer before she ends the call.

She turns around and quickly makes her way back down the beach towards her friends.

"Skye?" Jemma speaks up when she sees her friend. "Skye, what's wrong?"

Skye's silent for a moment before letting the dam break and the tears fall from her eyes, "Grant's in the hospital. There was an accident yesterday and he...he's..."

"Oh, sweetheart," Jemma gives her a sympathetic look and stands from her seat, going over to Skye and pulling her into a hug.

Skye just hugs Jemma back tightly, burying her face in the Brit's shoulder as she cries.

After a moment she pulls back and wipes at her eyes. She swallows, "Um, I'm going to go to the hospital to see him. Can you give me a ride, Jem?"

"I would, but I didn't bring my car. Fitz gave me a ride here."

"I'll take you," Bobbi speaks up, standing from her towel. "Obviously this guy means a lot to you."

Skye nods, "He was my best friend when we were kids. We've grown apart over the years but he's still a really good friend."

"Alright," Bobbi nods, reaching out to grab her t-shirt to slip on over her bathing suit. "Come on," she grabs her car keys and wallet, gesturing for Skye to follow after her as she slips her sandals on and makes her way up to the parking lot.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jemma asks her friend.

"I don't want to ruin the party for you," Skye says.

"Never," Jemma shakes her head. "You're my friend, Skye. Let me be here for you."

Skye nods, "Okay. Come on." She links her arm with Jemma's and the two girls quickly follow behind Bobbi to the parking lot.

...

Rushing through the doors of the hospital with Jemma right behind her, Skye skids to a stop in front of the reception desk.

"I'm looking for Grant Ward's room," she says, breathing heavily from running.

"What's your relation to him?" the woman asks.

"I'm a friend," Skye tells her.

"I'm sorry. Only family and other approved individuals are allowed back to see him. And they're all already back there. If you'll give me your name then I can—"

Skye shakes her head, "No, don't you dare say that to me. I don't care about some damn list. You let me back to see him right now or I swear I will—"

"Skye."

Turning her head, Skye lets out a breath when she sees Marianne standing a few feet away. She immediately hurries over to the older woman, throwing her arms around her in a hug.

"How is he?" Skye asks after she pulls back.

"He's stable," Marianne tells her. "But he still hasn't woken up yet."

"The woman at the desk says I can't go back and see him. But I have to, Gramsy, I have to see him."

"Of course, dear," Marianne gives her a soft smile. She looks past Skye at the reception desk, "She's fine to come back." The woman at the desk nods silently.

"Bobbi and I will wait for you out here," Jemma tells her friend.

"Come on, sweetheart," Marianne wraps an arm around Skye's shoulders and guides her down the hallway towards Grant's hospital room. They're both quiet the whole way to his room, neither woman knowing exactly what to say in the moment.

When they finally reach his room, Skye takes a deep breath before stepping into the room, stopping in her tracks when she sees Grant lying in his hospital bed. His face is pale and she can see cuts and bruises scattered across the skin of his face and arms. There's a bandage wrapped around his head and a cast on his leg that's being elevated slightly.

Skye chokes on a sob at the sight of him, thankful for Marianne's arms around her to prevent her from collapsing on the floor.

"Come here, sweetheart," Marianne guides Skye over to one of the chairs near Grant's bed, helping her sit down in it.

Skye immediately reaches out for Grant's hand, holding it tightly in both of hers as the tears roll down her cheeks.

"I'll just leave you alone for a few minutes," Marianne says.

Skye just nods, not taking her eyes off of Grant.

"Hey Grant," she says after a few minutes, after her crying has subsided some. She wipes at her eyes. "I'm uh, I honestly don't know what to say right now. I can't believe this happened to you. This isn't fair. You have to get better, okay? You have to."

"He fancies you, you know."

Skye whips her head around to see two people standing in the doorway, a guy and a girl.

She furrows her brows, "What?"

The guy steps forward, "Grant fancies you. Well, it's more like he's madly in love you, but it's basically the same."

"Who are you?"

"Name's Kebo. And this is Kara," he gestures to the girl next to him. "Grant's our friend."

"Okay. Well, Kebo, you're crazy if you think Grant is in love with me. We're just friends, that's it."

"Yeah, I know that. Grant knows that too. Doesn't stop him from being completely head over heels for you."

"How do you even know that what you're telling me is true?"

"It's obvious in the way he looks at you," Kara tells her. "And the way he talks about you. And the goofy smile he gets on his face that we know means he was just with you or is thinking about you."

"Why are you telling me this?" Skye questions.

Kebo shrugs, "Dunno. Maybe cause the bloke was too chicken to tell you how he felt and now he may never get the chance."

"Kebo..." Kara says quietly, placing a hand on his arm.

"Don't say things like that," Skye tells him. "Grant is going to pull through. He has to."

"Yeah? And what if he doesn't?" Kebo takes a deep breath, "Look, I don't mean to get all depressing and whatnot. But he may not make it out of this. And in case he doesn't, you should probably see this." He holds out a slightly scratched up laptop to her.

"Is this his laptop?" she asks, taking the computer from him.

"Yeah," Kebo nods. "We were hanging out the other day and he left a video open. I watched it, like I do, and I...well, I think you should see it for yourself."

"Um, okay," she says. "Is there a..."

Kebo shakes his head, "No. No password. For whatever reason Grant doesn't have a password on it."

"Okay, thanks."

"Yeah," Kebo nods. "We'll leave you to watch that, then." He and Kara spare a glance at Grant before turning and walking out of the room, leaving Skye alone with Grant and his laptop.

Holding the laptop in her lap, she opens the lid, bringing her to the desktop screen.

She goes into his video files, finding the most recent upload to his computer.

She double clicks on the video, waiting for the window to pop up and load.

_The video opens up to show Grant sitting on the edge of his bed, his guitar perched comfortably in his lap._

_"Hey, Skye," he smiles nervously into the camera, "um, so, you most likely won't ever see this, because I don't exactly plan on showing it to you any time soon. But uh, you know how I've always loved music and tried writing songs. You also know how I could never really finish a song and get it just right. Until recently, that is. I think I've finally written the perfect song. And you, Skye, you were my inspiration, you always have been. So this song is for you. I really hope you like it, even though you most likely won't hear it."_

_He looks down at his guitar, takes a deep breath and strums a few chords before opening his mouth to sing._

**I bet you didn't notice  
** **First time your heart was broken  
** **You called me up and we talked till the morning  
** **Oh**

**And the time that you were stranded  
** **I was there before you landed  
** **He was a no show  
** **I made sure you got home**

**And I've been right there  
** **For every minute  
** **This time, it's no different  
** **Whatever happens you should know**

**Cause you're not alone, girl  
** **Look over your shoulder  
** **You don't have to wonder  
** **Cause you know, you know, you know  
** **That you're not alone, girl  
** **I'll be there to hold you  
** **I'll stay till it's over  
** **And you know, you know, you know  
** **That you're not alone  
** **That you're not alone  
** **You're not alone**

**All the days that you were stressed out  
** **Feeling like pulling your hair out  
** **They were all missing but I was here listening  
** **Yeah**

**You gotta believe in me  
** **Even if you can't see me there  
** **Can't see me there  
** **I'll catch you when you fall**

**Cause I've been right there  
** **For every minute  
** **This time, it's no different  
** **Whatever happens you should know**

**Cause you're not alone, girl  
** **Look over your shoulder  
** **You don't have to wonder  
** **Cause you know, you know, you know  
** **That you're not alone, girl  
** **I'll be there to hold you  
** **I'll stay till it's over  
** **And you know, you know, you know  
** **That you're not alone  
** **That you're not alone  
** **You're not alone**   


**I'll be here for you no matter what  
** **Comes around the corner  
** **Whoa oh, whoa oh, whoa oh, whoa oh  
** **As long as I am breathing  
** **You won't have to worry no more**

**Cause you're not alone, girl  
** **Look over your shoulder  
** **You don't have to wonder  
** **Cause you know, you know**

**Cause you're not alone, girl  
** **Look over your shoulder  
** **You don't have to wonder  
** **Cause you know, you know, you know  
** **That you're not alone, girl  
** **I'll be there to hold you  
** **I'll stay till it's over  
** **And you know, you know, you know  
** **That you're not alone  
** **That you're not alone  
** **That you're not alone  
** **That you're not alone  
** **You're not alone**

**I bet you didn't notice  
** **First time your heart was broken  
** **You called me up and we talked till the morning**

The video ends with Grant giving a small smile to the camera and Skye just sits silently in her seat, not sure what to do.

After a moment, she closes the lid of the laptop and sets it off to the side before turning her attention fully on Grant.

"I'm so sorry, Grant," she says, clutching his hand in hers again. "I wish...I wish I'd known. Maybe if we hadn't grown apart. But you were still always there for me," she lets a small smile grace her lips. "Even though we went our separate ways you never failed to come to rescue. I don't know how I could have been so blind; you were always there when I needed someone." She leans forward and rests her cheek on his hand, looking up at him. "When you wake up I promise we're going to hang out more. I promise. Just please..." she closes her eyes and turns her head into his palm, "please wake up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Left ya on kind of a cliffhanger there. Two more chapters to go here and then we're done.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Sorry it's been a little while since I updated. I didn't have this chapter completely written because I was a little stuck. But I've finished it so I'm uploading it now.  
> Also, I am now down with my first year of college and I'm home now for the summer. Woo!
> 
> And now, the chapter. Enjoy!

Taking a deep breath, Skye pushes open the door to the hospital room, finding Marianne sitting in the chair pulled up close to Grant's bed.

"How is he?" she speaks up somewhat quietly, not wanting to startle the older woman.

Marianne turns her head towards Skye and gives her a soft smile, "He's doing better."

"That's good," Skye says, dropping her bag just inside the door and moving closer to Marianne. She stops right next to the chair, resting one hand on the back of it. "I hate seeing him like this."

"So do I, sweetheart."

"Have Kebo and Kara come by yet today?" she asks.

Marianne shakes her head, "No. But it's only nine in the morning. I'm sure they'll be by at some point. Would you mind sitting with him for a while? I forgot a few things when I left the house to come here. I'd rather he not be alone."

"Of course I will," Skye smiles. "You don't even have to ask."

"Good," Marianne smiles, standing up from the chair. "I shouldn't be gone too long."

"Take however long you need," Skye tells her, sitting down in the chair and focusing on Grant. She looks briefly up at Marianne, "I'll keep him company."

"Alright," Marianne gives her a small smile. "I'll see you soon." She turns and makes her way out of the hospital room.

Skye turns her attention back to Grant, reaching out to clasp his hand in hers. "I'm back," she says. "Just like I told you I would be." She scoots the chair closer to the bed, sitting slightly forward on it and leaning down. She rests her head on his hand, just like she's done each other time she visited, and closes her eyes.

She's not sure how much time passes before she feels a slight twitching beneath her head. She lifts her head up with her brows furrowed in confusion. She feels his hand twitch again in hers.

"Grant?" she sits up the rest of the way. She sits forward in her chair, "Grant? Can you hear me? Grant?"

She reaches out and presses a button to call the nurse in when she sees what she thinks is a slight twitch in his face.

"Come on, Grant," she whispers. "I know you can do this for me. Wake up."

"You buzzed?"

Skye looks over her shoulder to see a nurse entering the room. "Yeah," she nods. "His hand moved a little and I swear I saw some kind of a twitch in his face."

The nurse moves between the different machines, checking them as well as Grant. She looks over at Skye and smiles, "He's definitely improving. We put him on a very heavy anesthesia to help his body recover, but I think it's wearing off. So hopefully if everything is good he should wake up soon."

Skye nods, "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

The nurse checks a few more things before turning around and walking out of the room, leaving Skye alone with Grant again. She reaches forward and runs one of her hands through his hair before sitting back down in her chair and letting out a sigh.

"Hello?"

Skye looks over her shoulder to see Jemma and Bobbi stepping into the room, nervous smiles on both of their faces.

"Hey guys," Skye smiles at them.

"How is he?" Jemma asks.

"The nurse said that he should be waking up soon," she tells them.

"Well that's good news," Jemma smiles.

"Yeah," Skye sighs, looking back at Grant. "I just hope 'soon' happens right now. I didn't really realize how much he's still a part of my life until I heard his song."

"Song?" Bobbi asks with a slightly raised brow.

Skye nods and looks at her friends, "Yeah. He uh, he wrote me a song saying how he always has been and always will be there for me when I need him. Apparently he didn't actually intend to show it to me; I only found out because his friend Kebo gave me Grant's laptop that had a video of him playing it on it."

"He wrote you a song," Jemma says. "That's so sweet."

"Yeah. And apparently, according to Kebo and Kara, Grant's in love with me."

"Gonna kill Kebo."

Skye gasps and whips her head around to see Grant still lying with his eyes closed, his head lolled to the side.

"Grant?"

She sees his eyes slowly crack open and he gives her a small smile. "Hey."

"Oh my gosh," she breathes out, tears springing to her eyes again. "You're awake." She leaps out of her chair and practically throws herself on top of him, wrapping him in a hug. "I was so scared you weren't going to wake up," she tells him.

"Well I'm sorry I scared you," he says back. "That was not my intention."

Skye sits back and wipes at her eyes. "I know it wasn't," she says. "But I didn't realize how much I actually need you in my life, Grant. You're always there for me, even when you aren't actually physically there."

"I see you're still wearing that," he says, pointing to the pendant hanging around her neck.

Skye smiles down at it and touches it briefly before looking back at him, "I hardly ever take it off. It reminds of how close we used to be. We used to do everything together, Grant. We were pretty much inseparable."

He nods, "I know. And then we grew up and got interested in different things. It happens all the time."

"But I never thought it would happen to us. I miss you, Grant. I didn't realize how much I missed spending so much time with you until I almost lost you for good. I never want to feel like that again. You're my best friend, Grant."

"And you're mine," he smiles. "Just don't tell Kebo that, he's a bit sensitive about the whole thing."

Skye laughs quietly and wipes at her eyes again. She takes a deep breath and leans back in her chair. "So," she starts, "you finally finished a song."

Grant closes his eyes and sighs. "Kebo?"

Skye nods, "Kebo."

"I am so going to kill him," he mutters.

"Don't," Skye says. "I'm kind of glad he showed it to me."

"Well I really wish he wouldn't have. I didn't want you to see that, Skye. I didn't want things to be weird between us. You're with Lincoln and I didn't want to put you in any kind of weird spot with him."

"Lincoln and I broke up," she tells him.

"You did? Oh, wow. I'm so sorry, Skye."

She shakes her head, "Don't be. Things between us were starting to fizzle out, anyways. I knew it was only a matter of time. But you getting into the car accident just pushed things a little faster. He didn't like how I was so worried about you instead of focusing on him. He also didn't like the idea of me traveling instead of going to college, thought that I was essentially throwing away my future."

"Then he never deserved you," Grant says. "If he cared about you even a little then he would have supported you no matter what he thought."

"I know," she nods. "Which is why I'm really glad to still have you in my life. You're always so supportive of me and everything that I want to do."

"That's mainly because I know how stubborn you are once you set your mind to something," he smiles.

Skye laughs quietly, "Yes, that is very true. And uh, I just want you to know that I think the song you wrote is really sweet. It made me cry, actually. But I think the fact that I watched it while you were unconscious in a hospital bed had something to do with it."

"Yeah, probably. But you liked it?"

She nods, "Yeah, I did. And it actually got me thinking..." she shifts in her chair, "about you and me. Grant, I—"

"Skye, please, don't."

"What? But I thought you lo—"

"I do," he nods, cutting her off again. "Believe me, I do. But I don't want you to say what I think you were going to say. Not now, not like this."

She furrows her brows, "I don't understand."

Grant sighs, "I love you, Skye, I have for a really long time. But you just got out of a relationship and I was just in an accident."

"I know, Grant. That's why we can't waste anymore time," she reaches forward and grabs his hand in hers, linking their fingers together.

Grant looks down at their hands for a moment before looking back up at her. "I want this so badly," he says barely above a whisper. He speaks up at full volume again, "But I don't you want to just be rushing into this kind of a decision. I don't want you to be with me for a few months only to realize that you don't actually feel anything for me. That it was just some spur of the moment thing because of everything you were feeling. I would be crushed if that were to happen."

"So what are you saying?" she asks him.

He takes a deep breath, "I'm saying that I'm going to go to college, and you're going to travel the world. And then, when you get back, if neither of us have met anyone, and we still feel this way, we can give us a shot," he gives her a small smile.

"But we can give us a shot right now," she says. "I don't have to leave and we can see where this goes."

Grant shakes his head, "No, Skye. You need to go travel. That's what you've always wanted to do. I'll still be here when you get back."

"Yeah?"

He nods, "Yeah."

"Okay then," she agrees with a small nod. "We'll wait and see what happens down the road. But you have to promise me that we're going to hang out a lot over the summer. And you have to officially meet all of my friends."

He gives her a smile, "I think we can make that happen."

"Good. Speaking of which, there are two of my friends here who I think would like to meet you." She turns her head and then furrows her brows, "Wait. Where'd they go? They came in here to see how I was doing."

"I think they stepped out sometime around when you were hugging me."

"Huh. Well, I guess you'll just have to meet them another time."

"Yeah, I suppose I will," he smiles.

* * *

"Grant!" Skye shouts through the facility to get Grant's attention when she sees him walking by.

Grant stops and turns to look at her, a smile growing on his face.

She waves him over and he immediately walks towards her. Kebo and Kara, both of whom had been walking with him, change their course and trail right behind him.

"Everybody, this is Grant, Kebo, and Kara," Skye says when the three teens reach the group. "Grant, Kebo, Kara, this is everybody. I'm sure you'll figure out all of their names by the end of the night."

"Hey," Grant gives them all a small wave.

"So," Bobbi speaks up, "you're the guy Skye's always talking about."

"You talk about me?" Grant asks, looking down at Skye.

"Course she does," Lance speaks up from beside Bobbi. "The last few days she has, anyway. Not so much before that. She didn't really start going on about you until you got in that car wreck."

"Lance," Bobbi says through gritted teeth, back handing him in the chest.

"It's fine," Grant gives them both a small smile. "I'm fine talking about my accident, really."

"But I, on the other hand, am not," Skye points out.

"Yes I know," Grant nods. "You were completely terrified that I wasn't going to make it."

"But you did make it," she tells him. "And that's all the matters now."

He smiles down at her and wraps an arm around her waist to pull her into a side hug, "Yes it is."

"Well would you look at this," Kebo grins from his spot. "You finally got the girl, Grant. I'm proud of you, mate. Little ticked off you didn't tell me and I had to find out like this, but I think I can forgive you."

Grant rolls his eyes, "We aren't together, Kebo."

"Not yet, anyways," Skye adds with a small smile.

"You're not?" Kebo asks, his brows furrowed.

Grant shakes his head, "No, we aren't."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you later," Grant says. "Right now I think I just want to enjoy this party."

"Me too," Skye agrees. "We are now high school graduates and should be celebrating that fact. And you know what? There's a pool here and we all brought our swim suits just like they told us. So let's all go swimming."

"I wanted to go and get some more food," Lance responds.

"Of course you do," Skye says. "Come on, guys, it'll be a lot of fun."

"I agree," Grant says.

"Well I don't know about you lot, but I look great in a pair of swim trunks," Kebo speaks up.

Kara rolls her eyes, "You like to think you do."

"Guys, stop," Grant says before Kebo can respond.

"Let's all head to the locker rooms and change then meet in the pool," Skye says. "Does that work for everybody?"

"Sounds good to me," Grant says.

"I guess I can wait on the food," Lance grumbles.

"I think we're all in," Bobbi tells Skye.

"Excellent," Skye beams. She pulls away from Grant and moves with the other girls to their locker room while Grant and the other guys move towards theirs.

* * *

"Here we are," Skye breathes out as she approaches the security line.

"Do you have everything you need, baby girl?"

Skye turns around to face her parents, giving them a smile. She nods her head, "Yeah, I think so. At least, I really hope I do. Because that would definitely suck if I forgot to pack something that I really need."

"Well you better get going then," her mom says, stepping forward to pull her into a hug. "Have fun, sweetheart."

She hugs her back, "I will, mom. And I promise to call you guys every chance I get."

"Skye!"

Looking past her parents, Skye beams when she sees all of her friends making their way towards her. She drops her bag at her feet and rushes towards her friends, immediately being engulfed in a large group hug.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asks them when she pulls out of the hug.

"Did you really think we were going to let you leave without a proper send off?" Bobbi speaks up.

"We all wanted to come say goodbye," Jemma tells her. "We're going to miss you very much, Skye."

"I'm going to miss you guys too," she smiles. "But I'm only a phone call or FaceTime away."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Grant says, stepping around the group.

Skye smiles at him and steps over, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you so much while I'm gone," she tells him.

He nods against her, "I know." He pulls back to look at her, "But I'll still be here when you get back."

She nods, "Yeah, I know you will be. I'm just really going to miss you."

"And I'm going to miss you too," he smiles. "Do you have everything you need? Ticket, passport, travel guide?"

Skye smiles, "Yes, yes, and I'll get one in each place I go to."

Grant lets out a breath, "Alright, well, I think you're ready."

Skye nods silently.

Grant furrows his brows, "Hey, I know that look. What's the matter?"

Skye shakes her head, "Nothing. It's just, am I really going to do this? Am I really going to travel on my own for two years? Maybe I shouldn't do this, maybe I should just stay here. I'll find a job and maybe apply to community college."

"Whoa whoa, hey, stop that. You are going to be just fine out there. You've always wanted to do this. So you're going to go out there and do it."

Skye nods, "You're right. This is what I want. I'm going to do this."

"Yes you are. And you're going to take Europe completely by storm. They won't even know what him 'em," he smiles.

She smiles back. "I'm going to call you all the time."

"I expect you to," he says. "And I want pictures of you everywhere you go, alright?"

Skye nods, "Absolutely. It'll be just like you were right there with me."

"Good," he nods. He takes a deep breath, "Now, you better get through that security line so you don't miss your flight."

"Right," Skye nods once. "My flight. Yeah." She takes a deep breath and turns back towards all of her friends, "This is it."

"You're going to have an amazing time, Skye," Bobbi tells her.

"Thanks," Skye smiles. "I guess I'll see you guys when I get back." She turns around to face her parents, "I'm going to miss you guys."

"We're going to miss you too, baby girl," Melinda smiles at her. "But we'll still be here when come home."

"I know," Skye smiles. She pulls them both in for one last hug.

As she makes her way over to the security line, she stops and drops her carryon bag to the floor. She turns around and quickly makes her way over to Grant, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down into a searing kiss.

Grant's eyes go wide and he stumbles for a moment before relaxing and reciprocating the kiss. His hands just barely land on her hips before she pulls back and smiles up at him.

"Skye...?" he whispers.

She bites her bottom lip between her teeth. "I wanted to know what it'd be like."

"And?"

"Not too bad. Definitely gives me something to look forward to for when I get back."

Grant lets out a quiet, breathy laugh. "You really should get going."

She sighs, "I know. Promise you'll still want me when I get home?"

"I promise," he smiles.

"Good." She gives him a quick peck on the lips before going over to her carry on and picking it up to walk over to the security line.

Grant watches with a smile on his face as Skye makes her way through the line, passing through the body scanner, and reclaiming her things off the conveyor belt.

As she approaches the entrance of the hallway to take her to her gate she looks over and locks eyes with him. She gives him a small smile and then steps forward, disappearing from view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> For those interested, I'm working on a special project for the wonderful Brett Dalton. Let me know if you're interested, I'd be happy to give you more details. :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! So sorry for the long wait on this final chapter. I honestly don't know. I was focusing on finishing up my other story, and I've had some other things going on. But I've found some time to post this for ya. :) Thanks for all the love on this story, you guys. :)
> 
> And now, enjoy the final chapter!

_***Two years later*** _

Making her way through the crowded and busy floor of the airport, Skye shrugs her backpack higher up on her shoulder as she pulls her phone out of her back pocket and turns off the airplane mode. She shoots off a quick text as she walks towards the baggage claim area _Just got off the plane. On my way to get my things from baggage claim now._

A chime sounds from her phone as she reaches the correct carousel **Well hurry it up, will ya? We're outside the front of the airport waiting for you by the car.**

She just smiles and shakes her head _I'll try and go as fast as I can. Although, you could always come inside and help me with these bags._

**Yeah, but then I'd have to go park in the garage and walk all the way inside and then you'll probably already have your stuff outside.**

_Oh you are so unbelievable right now. See you guys in a few._

She slides the phone back into her pocket as she keeps her eyes peeled for both of her suitcases.

After a few minutes she spots them both emerging through the carousel and moves forward to grab them, setting them on the carpet at her feet.

She takes a deep breath and then grabs the handle of each suitcase in either hand and lifts them off of the ground, slowly beginning to make her way towards the front door of the airport.

Stepping outside into the warm afternoon air, she lets her eyes wander around her, searching for those two familiar faces.

"Skye!"

Turning her head, she smiles when she sees the two people standing on the curb waiting for her. She holds tightly to her bags and quickly makes her way towards them, ducking and dodging through all of the people.

Once she reaches the man, she sets her bags on the concrete and pulls him down into a hug, "I've missed you, Kebo."

They pull out of the hug and Kebo smiles down at her, "Missed you too, Skye."

She turns towards the raven haired woman and pulls her into a hug as well, "Good to see you, Kara."

"You too," Kara hugs her back.

"So how was your flight?" Kebo asks when Skye and Kara break from their hug.

"As good as it could be. I'm just really looking forward to surprising Grant because he doesn't know I'm home now. It seriously feels like it's been forever since I've seen him and I've really missed him a lot."

"I'm sure you have," Kebo smiles. "Now come on, let's get your stuff in the car and get you home. I think your parents are pretty excited to see you."

"Well then let's not keep them waiting any longer," she says, reaching down to grab her two suitcases and toss them into the open trunk.

"You ready, then?" Kebo asks her.

She shuts the trunk and turns towards him, "Yep."

"Great then. Let's go." He moves around the car to the drivers' side while Skye moves to the front passenger seat and Kara moves into the back of the car.

"You excited to be home?" Kara asks Skye as Kebo pulls the car away from the curb.

"Very," Skye nods. "I mean, I had tons of fun while I was traveling, but it's also really good to be back home."

"That's good," Kara smiles.

"Yeah," Skye smiles. "Oh, hey, how are you and Lincoln? You guys still going strong?"

"Yeah, we're still going strong after a year and half," Kara replies with a small smile. "Are you sure it isn't weird for you that he and I are dating? Because I really don't want you to feel weird or uncomfortable about any of it."

Skye shakes her head, "Absolutely not. I appreciate you not wanting me to feel uncomfortable, but I promise you it's not weird at all for me. He and I never really clicked while we were dating anyways and if I'm being honest, I wasn't even that distraught when we broke up."

"Yes, I think the fact that you wanted to jump Grant's bones while he was in the hospital can testify to that," Kebo comments from his seat.

"Kebo!" Kara scolds him.

"For the record," Skye speaks, "I did not want to 'jump his bones' as you so eloquently put it, Kebo. I just wanted to see how he and I would work as a couple."

"And he turned you down. That must have been a very devastating blow to your self esteem."

"You really need to learn to shut up," Kara tells him.

"It wasn't that bad," Skye says to Kebo. "I understand now why he did that. He didn't want me to just be caught up in the moment. He wants my feelings for him to be real and genuine."

"And are your feelings for him real and genuine?" Kebo asks.

Skye gives him a smile, "Don't you think Grant should be the first to know that?"

Kebo sighs, "Fine, if you want to do it like that."

"That's exactly how I want to do things," Skye says. "Now drive."

"Yes ma'am," Kebo nods once, continuing down the road.

* * *

"Yeah man, I'll see you on Thursday. And don't forget to bring all of your notes with you," Grant says to one of his classmates as he makes his way down the steps of the old brick building. He hikes his backpack higher up on his shoulder and pulls his phone out of his back pocket. He turns the sound back on and unlocks it to check and see if he has any new texts.

Seeing nothing new, he slides his phone back into his pocket and begins making his way across campus to head back to his dorm room.

"Grant!"

Turning his head, Grant smiles when he sees Kebo and Kara approaching him. "Kebo, Kara, what are you guys doing here?" He pulls both of his friends into a quick hug.

Kebo shrugs, "Just thought we'd come by for a quick visit."

"Well your timing is completely impeccable," he tells them. "I just got done with my only class today and I have the day off from work so I'm free for the rest of the day."

Kebo nods, "Yeah, we know you have the day off. We already talked to your supervisor."

"And when he says 'we' he really means me," Kara adds. "I'm the one who called your supervisor."

Grant chuckles lightly. "You actually called my supervisor?"

"We wanted to make sure you were free to hang out," Kebo tells him.

"I'm touched, Kebo."

"Yeah, you should be. But as much as we really love this little friendship we have had going on here for the last several years, it's not actually us who wants to hang out with you today."

He furrows his brows, "Really? Then who does if it isn't either of you?"

"Hey there, stranger. Did you miss me?"

Grant stills and then turns around to see Skye standing a few feet away, her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans and a smile on her face.

"Skye," he breathes out, a smile growing on his own face.

Skye takes a few steps towards him before jogging the rest of the way and jumping up into his open arms, hugging him tightly around the neck.

Grant hugs her back just as tightly, burying his face deep into her hair and breathing in deeply. "Oh I missed you so much," he tells her.

"I missed you too," she replies.

Grant sets her down but their arms remain wrapped around each other.

"How was the last part of your trip?" he asks her.

"Absolutely amazing," she smiles up at him. "Just like all the rest of it was. I met some really cool people every place I went." She looks past him to Kebo, "I even met someone I think you might like, Kebo. Her name's Hannah. We met in London and she's super sweet."

"Guess I'll just have to take your word for it until I magically meet her someday," Kebo jokes.

"Oh you'll meet her," Skye tells him. "She said she's going to come and visit me sometime soon when she gets a break from her studies."

Kebo's jaw drops. "What? You actually—"

"Relax, Kebo," Grant says, looking over his shoulder at his friend. "It's about time you found yourself a girl. You've kind of been insufferable lately."

"I have not," Kebo protests with a look of shock on his face.

"Yeah, you kind of have been," Kara agrees. "Now come on. Let's leave these two alone, I'm sure they have a lot of catching up to do. Besides, I told Lincoln that we'd meet up with him for lunch since we're both free."

Kebo groans as he follows behind her, "You know how much I hate being the third wheel around you two."

"Then get a girlfriend. Or a life. Or maybe even both."

Skye laughs quietly, "Those two are still ridiculous, I see."

"Yes they are," he nods. "But enough about them. Right now it is time for you and me. I'm done with my class and I don't have work, so how would you like to go and grab some lunch with me? There's this really great place not too far from here."

Skye lets a smile grow on her lips, "Grant Ward, are you asking me out on a date?"

"I might be," he smiles back. "But I think it all depends on if you still have feelings for me after two years of being away."

Skye smiles and then leans up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss. She pulls back and smiles up at him, "Does that answer your question?"

"You know, it might, but I think you're probably going to have to repeat it for me because I don't think I heard you clearly enough," he smiles.

Skye laughs, "Yeah, whatever." She rises back up onto her toes and presses another kiss to his lips. "I've been waiting two years to be able to do that again," she says against his lips.

"Me too," he replies with a small smile.

Skye stands back flat on her feet and looks up at him. She takes a deep breath, "So, shall we go to lunch?"

Grant smiles and unwraps his arms from around her, holding one hand out to her. "We definitely shall."

Skye smiles and takes his hand in hers, linking their fingers together. She rests her head against his arm as they walk together across his school's campus towards the bus stop.

"I'm really glad you're back, Skye," Grant tells her after a quiet moment of them just walking.

Skye smiles and presses a kiss to his arm before resting her head against it again and letting out a content sigh, "So am I."

* * *

_***Seven months later*** _

"You know, I always had a feeling those two would end up together," Kebo says from his place at one of the round tables set up on the large open lawn.

"No you didn't," Kara says. "In fact, if I remember all of this correctly, there were many instances over the years in which you actually tried to get Grant to get over Skye or told him not to even waste his time with her."

"I was just looking out for my friend," Kebo replies. "Wanted to make sure he didn't get his hopes up too high in case she didn't actually want him."

"Well it turns out that was all kind of pointless," Kara tells him. "Because now they're married."

"And it only took them seven months," Kebo says. "I honestly thought it would take them less time considering how long he's been in love with her."

"He proposed after only three months," Kara reminds him. "I'm still a little shocked that they were able to put a wedding together in four months."

"I'm not," the woman next to Kebo, Hannah, speaks up. "I may have only known Skye a short while when she came to London, but even then I knew what kind of a person she was. From what I've heard she didn't waste any time in planning this whole thing out."

"No she did not," Kara laughs quietly. "Grant was always calling and texting me about almost everything they were deciding on. He said it seemed like Skye had been planning this thing for a long time already."

"I'm sure Jemma could tell us if that were actually the case," Kebo says. "Those two have known each other for years. Not quite as long as Grant and Skye have known each other, but still pretty long."

Kara nods, "Definitely. And you know, I still can't get over how beautiful her dress is," Kara comments. "It's gorgeous."

"She does look amazing," Hannah smiles over at the table where Grant and Skye are sitting talking to each other while eating. "And she looks so happy with Grant. I'm really glad that they ended up together; she used to talk about him constantly when we first met in London. Even then I could tell how much she really cares for him."

"She doesn't just care for him, sweetheart," Kebo says to Hannah. "She's head over heels in love with him. Just like he's always been for her. And thank goodness too. Because if she had ended up with somebody else, I don't think I would have been able to handle being around Grant with a completely shattered heart."

"Alright, everybody," the DJ speaks up from the front end of the lawn, "before the festivities really get started here tonight, we're going to have a couple of speeches. First, we'll hear a little something from the Best Man, and then the Maid of Honor. Best Man, the floor is all yours."

Taking a deep breath, Kebo stands from his chair and straightens out his tie, moving towards the open space at the front end of the yard. He turns to face the crowd, clears his throat, and then speaks. "I was just over at my table telling Kara that I'm really happy Grant and Skye ended up together because if they hadn't then I'm sure we would have had to deal with Grant constantly moping about because his heart got shattered and he didn't know how to put himself back together." The audience laughs while Grant narrows his eyes at Kebo. "But seriously," Kebo continues, "I really am happy for these two. I've known Grant for quite some time, and only had the pleasure of starting to get to know Skye the summer right before she left on her travels. And I'm looking forward to being able to get to know her more in the years to come as she is now married to one of my closest friends. She really is a great person, as is Grant, and I think they're much better people when they're with each other. Mainly because Grant's no longer pining after her in secret even though Kara and I could both see it the whole time." The audience laughs again. "They really are perfect together, and I can't wait to see how their relationship continues to grow over time. Congratulations, both of you," Kebo smiles over at the couple.

Grant smiles back at him and nods once. "Thanks, man," he mouths.

Kebo just nods back and then moves back to his chair, draping an arm across the back of Hannah's seat.

As he moves back to his seat, Jemma stands up from her chair and stands where Kebo had just been standing.

"Skye is one of my best friends," Jemma starts. "I honestly never thought that she'd end up with Grant, mainly because I never really saw them hang out together in the years I've known Skye. But once I saw them together hanging out the summer after we all graduated from high school I knew. I knew that this is something that would definitely last. I've seen Skye happy because of many different things over the years that we've been friends, but nowhere nearly as happy as she is when I see her with Grant or even just talking about him or something that he said. It truly is a beautiful thing to watch the two of them together; they are so amazing together and it's very easy to tell how in love they really are. I'm so unbelievably happy for you, Skye; you've found the man that you want to spend the rest of your life with. I wish you both all the best in the years to come. Congratulations." She smiles over at Grant and Skye to see Skye smiling back at her with tears shining in her eyes.

She knows she has tears brimming her own eyes as she makes her way back to her seat.

"Thank you both for those wonderful speeches," the DJ says. "I know that all of us here today are very excited for Grant and Skye. They really are an amazing couple. So it's now at this time that I invite Grant and Skye to come out onto the dance floor to share their first dance together as husband and wife."

Everyone claps as Grant leads Skye out onto the makeshift dance floor.

The newly married couple wraps their arms around one another and begin swaying to the soft music coming through the large speakers set up.

"They look so happy together," Kara comments. "Don't you think so?" she asks the man next to her, turning her head towards him.

He shrugs, "I guess so."

Kara sighs, "Lincoln, don't be like this. It's been almost three years and you're with me now."

"I know," he replies. "I just still don't see why I had to come to my ex girlfriend's wedding. I don't really remember getting an invite."

"But I got one, and you're my plus one. And Grant and Skye had no objections to you being here. So please, just try and enjoy yourself a little and come dance with me later."

"Fine," Lincoln relents. "For you," he gives her a small smile and leans forward to give her a quick kiss.

"Thank you," she smiles back.

Out on the dance floor, Grant and Skye continue to sway back and forth to the music playing through the speaker system.

Skye's arms are wrapped around his neck while his arms are around her waist; their eyes locked onto one another and completely ignoring everything and everyone around them.

"I love you," Skye smiles up at Grant as they dance.

"I love you too," he smiles back. "More than anything in this world. I always have and I always will."

"I know," she nods. "And I also know that I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

He smiles, "Neither can I."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Also, still looking for more folks to join in on my project for Brett. If you want in, just leave me one or two reasons why you're a fan of his, along with any name you'd like included with your reasons. :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to know your thoughts.
> 
> Also, in light of recent things that happened with AoS, I am working on a super special project for Brett to let him know how much we love him. If you're interested, just let me know. I'd be happy to give you more details. :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


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